Treatment for mammals infected with pathogenic bacteria

ABSTRACT

COMPOSITIONS CONTAINING LACUTLOSE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE IN THE TREATMENT OF MAMMALS INFESTED WITH PATHOGENIC GRAM NEGATIVE BACILLI SUCH AS THE SALMONELLA SPECIES.

United States Patent 3,562,388 TREATMENT FOR MAMMALS INFECTED WITHPATHOGENIC BACTERIA Khe Siang Liem, Van Houtenlaan, Weesp, Netherlands,assignor to US. Philips Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation ofDelaware No Drawing. Filed Sept. 16, 1969, Ser. No. 858,509 Int. Cl.A611: 27/00 U.S. Cl. 424--180 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURECompositions containing lactulose have been found to be effective in thetreatment of mammals infested with pathogenic gram negative bacilli suchas the Salmonella species.

This invention relates to a new and novel method for the treatment ofmammals infested with pathogenic intestinal bacteria.

The treatment of mammals that are chronic secretors of pathogenicintestinal gram negative bacilli such as the bacteria of the speciesSalmonella, Shigella or Chloera has in the past proved to be quitedifficult. Frequently, it has been found that the administration ofantibiotics which is the usual means of treatment is found to beineffective.

It is a principal object of this invention therefore to provide a newand effective treatment for mammals chronically invested with pathogenicintestinal bacteria.

This as well as other objects of the invention will be apparent from thedescription that follows.

According to the invention, it has now been found that mammals infestedwith pathogenic intestinal gram negative bacilli particularly thespecies Salmonella, Shigella or Cholera may be in many casessuccessfully treated by the oral administration of lactulose in aneffective amount. The applicant has found that the administration oflactulose in amounts of from about 0.3 to 3 mg./kg. of body weightdivided into two or three daily doses and especially in amounts of fromabout 0.3 to 1.5 mg./kg. of body weight is an effective means oftreating mammals treated with these bacteria species.

The lactulose may be administered in a dry form or a liquid form. Aconvenient method of administration is in the form of a liquidcontaining about 50% by weight of lactulose, by weight of lactose, 8% byweight of galactose and the remainder water. This liquid, hereinaftercalled Duphalac, may be effectively employed in a daily dose of fromabout 0.75 to 2.5 ml./kg. of body weight administered in 2 or 3 parts.

A dry composition may contain 40% by weight of lactulose, 4% by weightof lactose, 6% by weight of galactose and 50% by weight of dextrinemaltose. This composition may be effectively employed in a daily dose offrom about 1.25 to 4 mg./kg. of body weight administered in 2 or 3parts.

The exact mechanism utilized by the lactulose is not completelyunderstood. However, it is known that it is not due to a laxative effectsince treatment with laxatives have proved to be ineffective and whilelactulose has a laxative effect at doses that are many times higher thanthat employed in the instant case, except for a slight diarrahea at theupper limit of the doses, no laxative effect was found for the doserange employed in the instant method.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference tothe following examples:

EXAMPLE 1 A 35-year-old man chronically infested with SalmonellalJlailtleII/Jlllg for 10 months was treated with Duphalac. On the firstday two doses of mls. each were orally Patented Feb. 9, 1971administered. On the second and third days three doses of 15 mls. eachwere orally administered each day. On the fourth day and one each of thefollowing days of the treatment he was given a dose of mls. three timesa day.

Two weeks after the beginning of the treatment the faeces of the patientwas completely free of salmonella bacteria.

EXAMPLE 2 A 24-year-old woman, chronically infested with Salmonellaverjle for seven months was treated in the same manner as in Example 1.After three weeks of treatment she was found to be free of Salmonellabacteria.

EXAMPLE 3 Following the same treatment scheme, a 48-year-old woman,infested with Salmonella braenderup for more than 13 months, was freedof the Salmonella bacteria after 2% weeks of treatment.

EXAMPLE 4 A 38-year-old woman infected with Salmonella Panama for morethan 9 months was treated with Duphalac in the manner described inExample 1. After three weeks of treatment this woman was free of theSalmonella bacteria.

Other cases of infestation with Salmonella, including SulnzonellaIyp/lflllltlilllll showed similar results.

While I have described my invention in connection with specificembodiments and applications, other modifications thereof will bereadily apparent to those skilled in this art without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of combatting intestinal infections in T mammals ofpathogenic bacteria of a species selected from the group consisting ofSalmonella, Shigella and Cholera which method comprises orallyadministering to said infected mammal a daily antibacterial effectivedose of lactulose.

2. The methof claim 1 wherein the lactulose is administered daily in anamount ranging from about 0.3 mg. to 3 mg./kg. of body weight.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the lactulose is administered daily inan amount ranging from about 0.3 to 1.5 mg./kg. of body weight.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the bacteria is of the Salmonellaspecies.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the lactulose is administered in theform of a solution containing 50% by weight of lactulose, 5% by weightof lactose, 8% by weight of galactose and the remainder water.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein about 0.75 to 2.5 ml./kg. of bodyweight of the lactulose containing solution is administered in 2 or 3doses daily.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the lactulose is administered in theform of a dry composition containing 40% by weight of lactulose, 4% byweight of lactose, 6% by weight of galactose and by weight of dextrinemaltose.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein about 1.25 to 4 mg./kg. of. body weightof the lactulose containing composition is administered in 2 or 3 dosesdaily.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,272,705 9/1966 Petuely 424-3,461,204 8/1969 Bircher 424-180 OTHER REFERENCES Chemical Abstract, 61:1061d (1964).

JEROME D. GOLDBERG, Primary Examiner

